A follow-up program in India for patients with spinal cord injury: paraplegia safari

Once patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) were discharged from the hospital, it was very difficult for them to return for follow-up, particularly during the first year, due to problems regarding finances and social issues, as well as extreme physical barriers. Because of these barriers, a large number of patients were presenting for re-admission for reasons that might have been prevented if they had come for routine follow-up. Therefore, it was felt that an attempt to visit the patient's residence to conduct a follow-up would be of great help.

To evaluate and improve the status of rehabilitation of community-dwelling SCI patients in their homes and attempt to decrease the rate of re-admissions.

In this program, the home visit team consisted of an orthopedic surgeon, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, prosthetist and orthotist engineer, medical social worker, and a nurse. Rehabilitated discharged patients received needed medical treatment, orthotics, and vocational guidance at their residences. Patients who required re-admission were assisted back to the hospital.

The home visit program decreased the number of re-admissions by improving the status of rehabilitation, which raised the quality of care for patients with SCI.